Wheel



Patented July 10, 1928.

ALVIN H. sHoEMAK-ER, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

WHEEL.

Application filed'septernber 13, 192 Serial No. 135,073.

My' invention relates to improvements in disc Wheels and the objects of my invention are to provide a disc wheel of double disc construction that may be made of relatively light' sheet metal formed'a'nd constructed in'such a'fmanner' as to afford relatively great strength and at the same time to afl'ord"a' flexibility which is" desirable in Wlieelsfoi" motor vehicles which flexibility thisclass. v I r H Anotherobject is" to p'rei id'e a. 'disc' wheel formed of two sheet metal discs, separated at'the' hub and having contact with each other jiist inside the rim and having their rirn' po'rtion's cupped for the reception of a separable 'rim member of substantially semicircular' cross/section which fits within'said cupped portions and has its edges criinped over't'he'edg'es of said cu'pperrinrportions insuch amannei' asto afi'o'rd inclined seating ri'n'gsfOr the headiportions' of a pneumatic tire of the forifij'disclosed my co-p'ending application, Serial No. 69,995, filed, Nov. 19, 1925, said" rim membenco-operating with a tire in forming-an air cavity.

Another object is to provide a double disc Wheelin' Whic-h't-he discs are reinforced at the hubin a novel and'eihcie'nt manner to render the portion ofthe Wheel of equal strength with the remaining portions.

Other and more specific objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection With thelaccompanying drawings. I I p In the'dra'win'gs Figure 1 is a view in sid'elev'ation of adis'c wheel constructed in accordance"witli my intention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary edge View of the same;

Fig. 3 is a' sectional View substantially on broken line'3 3 of Fig. l wit'h an additional showing of a tire'on one part oi the wheel. Fig. 4' is a fragmentarj sectional View on a'large scaleof the rim portion'of this'u'hcel, Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View shoiving'a slightly different form of hub reinforcing means from that shown in Fi 3. Like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

Referringto the drawings, the numerals 6 and? designate two discs of duplicate construction' that are formed with centrally arranged openings adapted to fit over'a huh 8. Those'portions'ot the discs fraud 7 iflji." cent the central openings are flat and noris' not ordinarily I to11n'd"--inf disc Wheels of' mally disposed in planes that are perpeI iL dicular to the axis'of the wheel for a'short" indicated 'atlO f distance. from the. hub as Said discs arethen bent outw'ardly'sharply as at toni id eri the' distance between the two discs of the wheel and-said discst-hen exjt'e'rid straight. outwardly and parhllel 'fo'r a short '(llSlIfHllCGlflS at 12 and thence co'i'iverge towardthe periphery or rim of the wheel audfare p'referablyin contact with e'aclioth'er" 1 around two-anruilarcont'act' iiiigs lha'n'd'l l locatedonopposite sides of ou'twaidly'arched conta'c't ring beads 15. Beyond the outer 14' the disc's G'a'nd T hend'shaiply outward as at 16, are thence cupped to form cu rvedriin receiving portions 17 of substantially quarter arcuate cross sectional shape and finally terminate in inclined vflanges .18 that; 'xremr in'a general sidewise direction at an angle that varies, preferably from tefitoffiit'eeu" degrees,-wit h respect to a tangential plane right angles to' the plane that is at The-beads l5 give additional' strength to" ust inwardlylro'n the;

'lhrim mrhber' 20 is preferably" made from afstrip' of' sheet metal having its two' ends welded or otherwise rigidly secured together toform a hoop. Th'is'hoop is then rolled to form the semicircular portion. After the hoop is thus formed the discs 6 and 7'are brought into place on opposite sides of the same and the. edges of the rim member or hoop are rolled over and crimped tightly underneath the flanges. 18 on the discs the two discs together at the periphery and greatly reinforces and strengthens the inclined flanges forming rigid conical elements for the'reception of the bead portions 24 of a tire 25. The portions 21 constitute radial stiffener-s at the outer ed'ges'of the inclined bead receiving members and the portions 22 constitute compression members that resist forces tending. to bend the outer The rim member thus serves to' bind" edges of the bead receiving elements toward the axis of the wheel. Therim member .20 rests upon and is supported by the quarter arcuate portions 17 of'the discs throughout the greater portion of a semicircle thereby utilizing to the fullest possible extent the strength of both of said parts in forming the wheel rim. The tire is of the semitire type in which a portion of the'air is contained within the arcuate or recessed rim and the bead portions 24 of the tire rest upon the conical bead receiving portions of the rim and are forced outwardly thereon by internal air pressure.

The hub of the wheel may be formed either as shown in Fig. 3 or Fig. 5, the disclosure of Fig. 3 being preferable where reinforcing arts of wood or light metal are used and the disclosure of Fig. 5 being preferable where the reinforcing parts are of iron or steel.

In Fig. 3 a reinforcing block or disc 26 preferably of hard wood is used, said reinforcing block being enlarged as at 27 toward its periphery to fit within the enlarged or widened portions formed by the parts 11 and 12- of the discs. The hub 8 is provided at the inside with an integral flange 28 adapted to fit against, and be secured to the end of a brake drum 30 and a separable disc like flange member 31 is provided at the outer side. Bolts extend through the brake drum 30, flange 28, disc 7. block 26. disc 6, and flange member 31 in the order named to rigidly secure the several parts together in assembled relation. Nuts 33 are preferably screwed onto said bolts 32 against the flange 28 and fit into enlargements in the holes through the plate 7 and block 26 to permit the wheel to be readily demounted from the brake drum 30 and hub 8 by first removing the nuts 34 on the outer ends of said bolts.

in Fig. 5. I show the hub reinforcing member as formed of two metal plates 35 of substantially duplicate construction that abut together around the hub as at 30. All of the ren'nuning parts in Fig. 5, may be' identical with the shown in Fig. 3.

The block 26 or plates 35 form very efficorresponding parts cient hub reinforcing means and co-operate merely illustrative and that such changes in construction may be resorted to as are within the scope and spirit of the. following claims:

I clain1:-

1. in a disc wheel, two sheet metal discs spaced apart. at the hub and converging toward the periphery and having circumferential recessed portions affording an annular groove, and inclined flanges formed at the sides of said groove for the reception of tire beads.

2. In a disc wheel, two discs spaced apart at the hub and converging to annular contact near the periphery, thence bent to form recessed portions of substantially quarter arcuate cross sectional shape and terminating in inclined flanges located at the sides of said r cessed portions and forming conical tire bead receiving means.

3. In a double disc wheel, two discs spaced apart at the hub and converging to annular contact near their periphery thence having recessed portions of sul'istantially quarter circular cross sectional shape which terminate in inclined flanges that project in a general sidewise direction, and a rim portion of substantially semi-circular cross sectional shape fitting within the quarter circular portions of said discs and having its edges bent over said inclined side flanges.

4. In a double disc wheel, two discs spaced apart at the hub and converging to annular contact near their periphery thence havin'g recessed portions of substantially quarter circular cross sectional shape which terminate in inclined flanges that project in a general sidewise direction, and a rim portion ofsubstantially semi-circular cross sectional shape fitting Within the quarter circular portions of said discs and having its edges bent over said inclined side flanges, the extremities of said rim portion being crimped rightly against said quarter circular portions at the location of the angle formed by their intersectionv with said inclined side flanges.

in a double disc wheel, two discs spaced apart at the hub and converging to annular contact near their periphery thence. having recessed portions of substantially quarter circular cross sectional shape which terminatein inclined flanges that project in a general sidewise direction, and a rim portion of substantially semi-circular cross sectional shape fitting within the quarter circular portions of said discs, the edges of said rim portion resting on said inclined side flanges and being bent inwardly over the edges of said inclined flanges and extending under said inclined flanges in spaced relation therefrom, the extremities of said rim portion being firmly crimpcd into the angles formed at the intersection of said quarter circular portions and said inclined flanges. 

